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Re: NorPac Divisional Course question

To: jcgz3@hotmail.com, ronbauer@aa.net, kevin_stevens@hotmail.com,
Subject: Re: NorPac Divisional Course question
From: "Kevin Stevens" <kevin_stevens@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 16:20:50 PDT
>Spins are usually caused by a build up of oscillations un corrected
>(like in any slalom) and/or having the car on edge and doing a
>sudden change (like brake or let up off the gas as most do at the finish).  
>Combine that with the enthusiasm of a finish, and you get more spins than 
>normal :-).

Absolutely.  My question is, why wasn't I in trouble with my Corvette?  It's 
certainly wider, therefore transitioning further side-to-side; it shouldn't 
really be more stable than the other cars (??), and theoretically I was 
accelerating at least as hard as any AS car.  The only thing I can think of 
is that I was carrying significantly less speed through the preceding turn?? 
  (Though I can't have been going TOO slow there, I was turning low 39's...)


>When I design courses, I usually try to protect the finish lights, by 
>placing a lot
>of distance from the last element and the timing lights.  In your case you 
>didn't have the room to extend the timing lights
>further down, so to protect the lights more, you would have needed to 
>reduce or remove the final slalom.

And they actually did open the cone spacing up on Sunday morning for just 
that reason.

>Saturdays course had the same problem in the final turn as it took >you 
>right out to the lights.

Saturday wasn't a problem, I spun there just fine, thanks!  First run, take 
out the apex cone.  Second run, miss the apex cone, almost take out the 
lights, lift to avoid them and spin through the infield.  Third run, lift 
before entering  ;(.

KeS

>In any event, I completely enjoyed the courses both days :-)
>---JCG
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Ron Bauer <ronbauer@aa.net>
>To: Kevin Stevens <kevin_stevens@hotmail.com>; <autox@autox.team.net>;
><ba-autox@autox.team.net>
>Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 11:29 AM
>Subject: Re: NorPac Divisional Course question
>
>
> > I wasn't one of the people spinning through the finish, but I did have 
>the
> > back a little loose.
> >
> > Basically, if you took the turn right before the slalom, the slalom was
> > pretty fast.  Add this to the fact that it was only a three cone slalom
>and
> > that allowed you to go pretty deep into the last cone.  Problem with 
>that
>is
> > that if you got too late, there was the potential to do something 
>drastic
> > (big steering input, complete lift off the throttle) that would cause 
>the
> > back end to get loose.
> >
> > I can't speak for Ken (BTW, it's funny to see the SS spin and take out 
>the
> > timing lights both days..... ;-)  ) but the S2000s are VERY tail happy
>cars.
> > Add the above information from the previous paragraph and there is a big
> > liklihood it could happen.  Annie and I are getting her car set up so it
> > isn't so tail happy, hence the reason I was only somewhat sideways (man 
>I
> > love rear wheel drive) vs. spinning!
> >
> > Ron (thanks for a fun weekend) Bauer
> > Y2K S2K
> > Team Butt Heat
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Kevin Stevens <kevin_stevens@hotmail.com>
> > To: autox@autox.team.net <autox@autox.team.net>; ba-autox@autox.team.net
> > <ba-autox@autox.team.net>
> > Date: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 9:53 AM
> > Subject: NorPac Divisional Course question
> >
> >
> > >Now that everyone has had time to get back to work and delete those
> > annoying
> > >voice messages...
> > >
> > >I was thinking on the way home about ways I could have improved on
>Sunday's
> > >course, and one thing that stuck out was the elan and glee with which
>vast
> > >numbers of AS (and other) drivers went spinning through the finish.
>Since
> > I
> > >was just plodding grimly through there, I was curious as to how y'all
> > >managed to get going fast enough to spin?  I don't really need tips on
>the
> > >spinning itself, but the going fast part seems to elude me.  I 
>*thought*
>I
> > >was getting off the turn before the slalom pretty well, but apparently
>not.
> > >
> > >Ken Mitchell, Andy McKee, any of the host of thousands have any input?
>Not
> > >you, Arie, breaking bits off the car in order to spin doesn't count...
> > >
> > >KeS
> > 
> >________________________________________________________________________
> > >
> >
> >
>

________________________________________________________________________


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